Guilty Gear Strive – Is Goldlewis Dickinson Worth Purchasing?

Certain characters manage to just steal the show and there is no denying Goldlewis Dickinson accomplished that. The rather large man, titled the Secretary of absolute defense, only appears in a handful of scenes but his overall style, attitude, and design quickly made him a fan favorite. When it was revealed he would be the first DLC character, surprising many who expected Happy Chaos to be the first of the datamined characters, it was exciting but is Goldlewis Dickinson worth purchasing?

Right off the bat, it’s clear Arc System Works had some fun with its colors. His initial look, essentially the drab brown you’d expect from an officer in the U.S. Army, expands the number of different ways. There is a lovely pink look, an orange and blue outfit that is reminiscent of Goku, my favorite black and red, and a few other predictable takes. He also stands at three stars, making him average difficulty for those worried about having the skill to enjoy Goldlewis Dickinson.

As his power type suggests, he really isn’t terribly far off from what you’d expect from Potemkin, just without the grappling. With the right move or combo, Goldlewis Dickinson can be devastating, but he is simply not a character you and just pick up and enjoy. This is due to the gimmick and how his attacks work.

Like most fighters in Guilty Gear Strive, Goldlewis Dickinson has his own unique mechanic. To prevent people from spamming his distance moves, a Gatling gun, and a bomb, he has a gauge referred to as “Security Level.” Essentially, this gauge fills rather quickly over time and the higher the level, the more hits/damage it does. This doesn’t mean you need to wait to fill it, the level one version can be spammed endlessly, it’s just there to reward players who use it sparingly, in addition to having a rather sizable delay, making it super easy to punish a poor move.

Speaking of punishing, Goldlewis Dickinson requires a very thoughtful and planned style of attack. He attacks slow, often at close range, and messing up anything can and often will give your opponent the opportunity to hurt you. This is ultimately where his difficulty comes from. Players don’t need to know how to do much, though it needs to be well-timed and ideally maximize potential damage.

As a result, someone who is more prone to easy combos or mashing buttons will not do well with Goldlewis Dickinson. This also makes Goldlewis Dickinson a rather easy choice to make. If you’re looking for a slow character that does a lot of damage, you’ll love him. Seriously, I enjoyed his animations, with his lens-breaking scream amusing me like no other and his weird style. Without that or a desire to learn, you’ll probably lose far more often than you’ll win and feel like you wasted your money.